National Suicide Prevention Alliance

The internet can be an important environment, offering opportunities for connection, understanding, and support. However, it also has the potential to expose people to harmful content that can impact their wellbeing or deepen their distress. Recognising this duality, NSPA members recently came together to explore the internet’s role in suicide prevention and discuss strategies to reduce suicide stigma online. Our latest blog post highlights the main themes that emerged from our discussion. A special thanks to Ariel Roll Hemsi (Digital Products Manager, Online Excellence Programme at Samaritans) for sharing insights. #SuicidePrevention #Stigma #OnlineContent https://lnkd.in/ebwRGRAi

Suicide prevention is everyone’s business. At the National Suicide Prevention Alliance, we bring together individuals and organisations who care about suicide prevention. Be part of our community driving change in #SuicidePrevention to: 🟣 Share your insights and drive change in suicide prevention at a national level. 🟣 Engage with members across sectors through events and our member forum. 🟣 Stay informed with reports, guidance, and good practice via our website, newsletter, and member forum. 🟣 Highlight your work and logo on our website, newsletter, and social media. 🟣 Receive regular updates on initiatives and member activities. 🟣 Collaborate with our Lived Experience Network to meaningfully embed lived experience expertise in your work. Find out more and join the NSPA community: https://lnkd.in/eNCA4xU7 #NSPA #LivedExperience #Learning #Collaboration #Influencing

You’ve started the conversation, but what do you say next?  If you're worried about someone, save this card and keep it handy.   Our Save a Life card contains information on how to support someone who is struggling as well as details of organisations to signpost to for support.     Save it, share it. It might help save a life.  https://lnkd.in/eHSEWnn3   #LanguageMatters #StartTheCoversation #SuicidePrevention #MentalHealth #Support

On #WorldSuicidePreventionDay this year, we launched our Language Matters campaign to encourage more compassionate and thoughtful conversations about suicide. Thank you to everyone who participated in and supported this campaign, and a special thanks to all members of our Working Group and the Girdlers Charitable Trust for their donation to support this work. Developed in collaboration with our Working Group, the campaign featured: 📢 Comms toolkit: 300+ downloads 📱 Social media: 50K+ reach, 2,645 engagements 🌐 Dedicated webpage: 700+ views 🎙️ Events and blogs: 3 webinars, 4 online discussions, 6 blog posts   “Normalising conversations about suicide and self-harm, combined with raising the awareness of prevalence, is important to help reduce the stigma and discrimination that can undermine the suicide prevention agenda.” - NSPA Lived Experience Influencer https://lnkd.in/ejzmWmke #SuicidePrevention #LanguageMatters #StartTheConversation #Stigma

Lived experience continues to shape everything we do at the National Suicide Prevention Alliance. This year, members of our Lived Experience Network: Helped design our Language Matters stigma campaign. https://lnkd.in/ejzmWmke Spoke at key events, including our Annual Conference, webinars, and the Multicentre Study of Self-harm in England conference. Continued to play a core part in the work of the Suicide Prevention Consortium. https://lnkd.in/dFEn3tJe Started facilitating a Learning and Collaboration Group for people from racialised communities with lived experience. Provided consultancy to organisations embedding lived experience in their work. Find out more about our Lived Experience Network: https://lnkd.in/dQMRB3-v #SuicidePrevention #LivedExperience #Collaboration #Learning

Reflections from NSPA Lived Experience Influencers: “As a lived experience influencer, I contribute to shaping strategies that prioritise the voices of those with lived experience. Recently, I have been privileged to work alongside City Bridge Foundation, focusing on innovative approaches to suicide prevention in communities." - David Breakspear

Sharing knowledge that strengthens suicide prevention efforts is at the heart of what we do. In 2024, we hosted six webinars, with 98% of participants rating them as “good” or “excellent. Catch up on all recordings from our events: https://lnkd.in/eJYMtNui   “It was amazing hearing from people with lived experience - makes the session more meaningful and powerful” - Webinar attendee    “Good to have presentations from those with lived experience, as well as knowledgeable professionals. This info needs to be rolled out to every single NHS Mental Health Trust, Community Mental Health Team, Council ...” - Webinar attendee #SuicidePrevention #Collaboration #Learning #NSPA

This year we were delighted to welcome over 33 new organisational members to the NSPA. From Community Counselling (North Yorkshire Limited) at the start of the year to our latest members LivingWorks (UK) and Woman's Trust, our membership has grown to over 425 organisations, all united in their commitment to suicide prevention through research, policy, or practice across the country. We welcome organisations and individuals from all sectors to collaborate for greater impact. Together, we can prevent suicide. Join us ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eNCA4xU7

Last month we were joined by members of the Youth Advisory Group, Youth Involvement Officer and Dr Maria Michail from the University of Birmingham's Institute of Mental Health. They explained how the Institute involve young Experts by Experience in the design, implementation, and translation of suicide prevention research. The panel highlighted the opportunities and impact gained from true partnerships between researchers and Experts by Experience and how this approach was used to produce #MyGPguide. #MyGPguide is an evidence-based resource, designed by young people, for young people with lived experience of self harm or suicidality. It is designed to prepare young people for their GP consultation about their mental health. You can watch the recording on our website https://lnkd.in/ez7sZnzM

Start the conversation, you don't need to find the perfect words but please do say something. Talk about suicide and help to break the stigma.